Weight Belt and BP/W

[b1gcountry]

I was reading a thread on TDS about weight belts, and it reminded me of a dive I did early this year. It was early April, and a rough day on Lake Michigan. One of the first divers in the water had a torn dry glove, and came back right as I was gearing up. I grabbed his deco bottles, and helped him aboard while my team was entering the water. Then my Inflator breaks while I'm putting my doubles on. We get it squared away, but all that time on the boat, and I'm getting a little queasy. In my rush to get the gear on, I trap my light cord under the waist belt.

I dropped down to 15-20' to get away from the waves, and swim towards the team on the anchor line when I realize my light cord is trapped. The water was about 36* and I was wearing HEAVY glove liners. When I alerted the team to the problem, we fixed it, but I accidentally unbuckled my weight belt instead of my harness. Luckily I was in good trim, so the belt didn't slide off me, and I just undid the right buckle, and we got it sorted out fine.

It wasn't a big issue, and I pretty much forgot about it, but the thread I was just reading made me curious what people with weight belts do to keep them from getting confused.

Tom

 

[JBRES1]

I put the buckle for the weight belt to the left of center and the waist strap for the wing to the right of center.

Jim Breslin

 

[VooDooGasMan]

By feel, I usally put the doubles in the water and crawl into it, so I know by the feel of it.
HOPE THIS HELPS (PRACTICE)



Happy Diving

 

[Nemrod]

Get a wire type belt.

If I may (DIR or not, this is the way I was taught), the harness belt should be on the left strap and should be of a length that allows it to reach across and to cinch down with the buckle well to the right side and should open to the right. The weight belt should open left and should be on center. As long as I can remember (if I am not losing it here) this is how it has been done.

In the old days, BTW, the weight belt went over the harness. Gearing up the tank harness/rig went on, then you stepped into your horsecollar BC and then the weightbelt went over the top, last. Generally, the knife was carried on the weight belt to the left of center (not on the the tank harness), unless it was on the leg or arm.

N <-- Scubazoic Era survivor

 

[mrfixitchapman]

I agree with Nemrod.

Spooky, ain't it?

DC

 

[Nemrod]

One other thing and then I shall go away, the reason the weight belt was on center, not to the left or wherever, was so that equal amounts of weight could be carried on each side, sometimes having the belt off center can result in an asymmetric condition.

Well, good luck with it. Oh, and I understand why you are using the weight belt under, I was just waxing nostalgic.

N

 

[b1gcountry]

The way my BP is set up, The buckle will cinch down on my right hip when I'm in my shorty, but it cinches down 2-3" right of center with my drysuit. I have a SS BP I like to use diving dry, but with doubles and freshwater, I need my AL plate, and I don't bother adjusting it.

Thanks, Nemrod, I might give that a try...although it would give my original PADI instructor a heart attack if it wasn't a right hand release.

Tom

 

[rjack321]

I don't know how you realized how your light cord was (exactly) stuck. If I have a problem like this I just get my buddies to fix it from start to finish. They can see what the issue is, I can only see part of the problem or may only know 1/2 of it. (ie. the stuck cord may be under the weightbelt even, or behind a shoulder strap and will never come free, etc.)

You can find your harness belt buckle via the crotch strap loop.

 

[Gombessa]

My setup is like JBres' specifically due to weight belt buckle issues - weight belt buckles to the left side, harness buckles to the right. I also "crimped" the hinge on both buckles a bit with a wrench so that they trap the webbing more securely, preventing "accidental" releases.

 

[rescue15]

Weight belt...right hand release - double buckled (as suggested by Gary Gentile during a dive seminar on wreck diving)
BP - Left hand buckle

Steve